Fully evolved

Battle properties

Generation I

Generations II to V

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

None

0×

None

Generation VI onwards

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

None

0×

None

Characteristics

Defense

Defensively, Bug types are less useful, because of their low Defense and weaknesses to Fire, Flying, and Rock, the most powerful moves of which are commonly known. Even their resistance to Ground and Fighting, the two types with the most offensive coverage, are of little use since many Pokémon of both types can learn Rock moves.

However, dual-type Bug/Flying and Bug/Poison Pokémon have an outstanding double resistance to Fighting, which can make up for their low Defense. They also have a double resistance to common Grass moves and greatly pressure Pokémon of that type. The Bug type is perhaps most effective when paired with Steel, becoming immune to Poison and resistant to eight types in all, at the expense of a double weakness to Fire.

In Generation I, Bug type can also deal super-effective damage to Poison, though this is reversed as of Generation II. Furthermore, their advantage over Psychic types is compromised by the relatively common typing of Bug/Poison types in Generation I, as well as Psychic types with Bug-resistant type. Despite these offensive flaws, the Bug type pairs effectively with Water and Ice.

Statistically, the Bug type is the weakest among the types, as it has the lowest average base stat total. This is supported by many fully-evolved Bug-type Pokémon have below 400 base stat total. In Generation I, there were only three Bug-type moves but none of which were very powerful. As of Generation IV, several powerful Bug-type moves were introduced and several Bug-type's movepools are expanded with wider coverage. Depending on their Attack and Special Attack stats, they can prove to be a nuisance with hard hitting attacks.

The user slashes at the target by crossing its scythes or claws as if they were a pair of scissors.

All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.

Abilities

Interacting with Bug-type

User of Color Change will be changed into Bug-type after it is hit with a Bug-type move. Protean will change its user into Bug-type when it uses a Bug-type move. When a Pokémon with Multitype holds a Insect Plate, it will become a Bug-type Pokémon. When a Pokémon with Imposter is sent out and its opposite opponent is Bug-type, it will transform into that Pokémon and turn into Bug-type.

All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual Ability's page.

Trivia

Generation V introduced the most Bug-type Pokémon of any Generation, with 18, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Bug-type Pokémon, with three.

Generation IV introduced the most Bug-type moves of any Generation, with seven, and Generations II and III introduced the fewest Bug-type moves, with three.

Flying type is one of the two types most commonly paired with the Bug type, along with Poison. However there are a number of Bug types, despite being able to fly, that are not Flying types, nor have the Ability Levitate, such as Beedrill and Venomoth.

Despite this, the only Bug-type Pokémon that can learn the move Fly, Volcarona and Genesect, are not Flying types.

In Generation I, the Bug type is super effective against Poison-type Pokémon, while the Poison type is super effective against Bug-type Pokémon. As such, this was the only case when two different types were super-effective against each other.

The Bug type was the most common 4× weakness in Generation I, with 11 Pokémon doubly weak to it, mainly due to Poison type having a weakness to it at the time.

No Pokémon gains the Bug type upon evolving that did not already have it. It shares this distinction with the Normal type.

Also, the Bug type is the only type to contain an evolution line consisting of a Pokémon (Surskit) with a unique type combination that evolves into a Pokémon (Masquerain) that lacks one.